Calibration: Overview and Workflow

What Is Calibration?

Calibration is an optional process that allows a designated panel to review preliminary ratings on employee performance plans before those ratings are finalized. This adds a structured layer of review and consistency-checking across plans within a panel's scope.

For plans with no prior panel review and Calibration disabled, the usual performance-plan process applies. Turning Calibration off during an active review has unresolved lifecycle rules — consult your administrator before acting on any plan in that situation. Existing panel history is always retained.

How the Workflow Flows

The calibration process follows these steps in order. No step can be skipped, and some actions cannot be undone once taken.

1. 1
   Administrator assigns the employee to a panelThe administrator assigns eligible employees to a Calibration Panel in the Admin section. Employees on the ZZ Pay Plan or marked as exempt cannot be assigned.
2. 2
   Rating Official enters ratings and narratives, then confirms submissionThe primary or secondary Rating Official enters ratings and narratives on the active Rating-phase plan, then selects Submit for Calibration. Confirming the warning saves the current rating-phase entries and validates them before submission. If validation fails, the plan stays with the Rating Official; draft entries may already be saved. Ratings and narratives are locked after a successful submission.
3. 3
   Panel Members review the planPanel Members can open the submitted plan and read the ratings, narratives, and supporting information. Members may add notes (up to 4,000 characters) to document their review. Members cannot change ratings or move plans between states.
4. 4
   Panel Chairs save proposed ratings (if needed)Eligible Chairs can change permitted ratings and save them separately as the panel's proposed rating. Saving is required even when the Chair agrees with the preliminary rating and wishes to retain it as the official panel rating. A Chair cannot take these actions on their own plan or on plans for which they are a primary or secondary Rating Official.
5. 5
   A Chair marks the plan Ready for ReleaseMarking a plan Ready for Release signals the panel's review is complete. This action alone does not save or apply any rating — a separate Save is required for that.
6. 6
   A Chair releases the planReleasing applies any saved panel ratings to become the official ratings. If no panel rating was saved before release, the original Rating Official rating remains in place. There is no undo after release.
7. 7
   Rating Official reviews the result and signsAfter release, the Rating Official opens the plan via Sign {Year} Calibrated Plans, reviews the released rating and panel notes, then completes the normal signature step. The rating phase remains locked — ratings and narratives cannot be changed at this stage. Required Reviewing Official and employee signatures follow in the usual order.

Pending Action States

Each plan in a calibration panel has a Pending Action status that indicates where it is in the process.

Who Can Participate?

Eligibility for calibration depends on the employee's status and the plan's condition, as well as the panel roles assigned to each user.

Employee and Plan Eligibility

For the Calibration workflow to apply, all of the following must be true:

• The employee has an active panel assignment and is not exempt.
• The employee is not on the ZZ Pay Plan.
• The active templated plan has a Rating phase.
• The ratings are complete and valid at the time submission is confirmed (a previously saved summary is not required just to show the button, but incomplete or invalid ratings cannot be submitted).
• The Rating Official has not yet signed the Rating phase.
• The submitter is the primary or secondary Rating Official.

Notes

Calibration Notes can be added by Members and Chairs during the review period, unless they are the employee or one of the plan's Rating or Reviewing Officials. Notes are not visible to employees on their own plans. Primary and secondary Rating and Reviewing Officials can read notes only after release.

After Release

Planning and Progress Review signature removal is blocked from the point of submission onward, including individual removal, administrator removal, and applicable Undo bypass actions. This rule applies to administrators, Rating Officials, and Reviewing Officials — including administrators who are panel Members or Chairs. Entering the Rating phase alone does not trigger this restriction. Released ratings remain locked; Reviewing Officials sign without a rejection option. For corrections before release, use the exemption and rework sequence described in the Administrator Guide.